Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-03-23
BIsEiEs the Way From odhsdsIY 70
ETslHiiSn.
Religious Progress undsr the Prsaehlas
81 Hsary Esra BseehsS.
twice she Conqsersr - the worlds
LSye and Appreciates -DyinG
Jass ~ ne Ead Finished the
Task Of saving his Fsaae.
Sharply Drawn Contrast Between the
AfteF Careers Of the AeeussF and
the Accused IN the Famous
Scandal Trial.

Gath. 10 the Cincinnati Eaesfrsv.
says; Probably the last great pulpit
power eBds With Mr.. BeecheS. There
will still be churches and cathedrals, bat
no such Issues as remained 10 be settled
betveen church and world daring bis
time. With all bis Rifts, be might have
been comparatively obscure, bat for the
size Of the events By ghiah be measured
himself With speech and deeds. He vas
NOT the equal Of bis father. Lyman
BsecheR, IN the strict service Of bis
church, bat vas rather a wAndsreF and
pr0digal from bis fathers hearth. That
old man bad bis heart Ia the PresbyteT-
fan Church and lis orthodox CongTega
tiOnal colleague. He vas Q valiant
stiokleF for the orthodoxy be bad de-
rived from a long line Of Puritan
preachers. Mr.. BeeeheF began In or
thodoxy, drifted sway 20 become tbs
ornament Of q popular church, stepped
ovsT into the world. played highly
individual part ~ 3 preacher u unusual
gifts, and then remained Ia the church
In name only. having proclaimed bis
pulpit independent Of every thing. The
son Of tbe old man, Who vas the chan.
pion Of OoneEs0ationalis1 against Unit
taTianism. and Who vent to the West
and founded summaries 10 keep the
orthodox flame alive. ended BY preach
ing evolution and showing mankind that
oEE CHURCH WAS A. GOOD AZ AsorHER,
And probably better. II there be sach a
thing - truth which IL BOT what IL called
progressive truth. Mr.. BeecheF Travelled
IN eve7y direction from u. on the other
hand bis influence TO aeculaEiEs the
churches vss about eqnsI 10 the laboFs
OF she rest Of hia family 10 keep reliaion
where II had been.
when Mr.. Beeeher was younR u vas
more honorable te be ortkodsx and to
be Q DFeseher, than 10 hts later life. The
inhnence Of The pulpit was never equalsd
BY The newspaper press nor the schools
Of science till Henry Ward BseshsF vas
forty years Of age. After that tims the
pulpit played second paFi in the for
nation Of public and private opinion. He
vas too bold man 90 drive In q slow,
eld-faahioned wagon when be could get
on the fouF-in- haRd coach; so there was
an upqusstionAbIs change OF career 10
him from preacher TO writer. In the
earlier portions Of his life be worked AZ
his sermons with ell his might, having
derived frem his father fancy, pictur.
eaque power OF statement and dry vit.
Beechsr then labeFed to bs the finished
man upon hts feet, and by bis preaching
al Indianapolis he extended bis reputa
ton, even In those slow days, until the
Brooklyn OonRreRationalists sent out
and procured him.
ms LITERARY LIFE
Really began when be founded the
Independent newspaper and became lie
chief contributor; the world began TO
bear OF him through the Star papers.
which were tahen from the coluusns OF
the paper where they were signed with
star. Nov began the multiplication
OF presses, the impTevsms ut Of the Hoe
and other apparatus 30 print papers, the
eheapenine Of white paper itself and
Intercourse. The mere preacher was
not 10 be seen or noticed unless he full.
minated with unusual originality and
boldness. Mr.. Bseoher extended bis
scope; he crossed the Rubioon between
the Church and the world, and never
FeoFoessd II again except uuder some
Femorse or incidental necessity. H
hnallv drew bis pulpit ont into the
world, as John Wesley hundred years
the trees on the common.
BY the time Mr.. Beeeher died il was
hard 30 tell where his religion ended
and his world began; the world and the
Church had melted into one. There
remained most industrious and pro-
lido individual separated from the
churches, moving among biz fellownen
somevhat like detached politician.
keeping himself popular by after.dinner
speeches aud set OratioHs. The Oauani.
eals we're gone; IN place Of the monk or
the pastor there remained a feshy,
peArt, necessitous citizen who was
always In want Of money and could
always draw upon bis warm brain and
easy powers Of talk 70 get II. Yet many
persons felt that within the conditions
or this mas we're generosities and sym
pathies quite as good a. old dogmas.
Though In
A MEMORABLE INSTANCE
He had shown bis weakness Ra A ms a Of
affairs, proving BY his private letters
that underneath the lions face and roar
Was q rather faint and childish heart.
still this answering Of the femiHine
quality Of oar hero brought him another
sort Of character Thosa who had
themselves slipped asd sinned, felt that
after all the old man had drawn nearer
20 them. Thoae who had not sinped az
ell, bus had felt like u, had 10 make
allowance for him. He never Withdrew
bis hsnd when that Of an opponent vas
extended. He appeared 10 desire TO 70.
conquer the world 10 bis friendship.
After the celebrated Ttlson trial ol
1874. Mr.. BeesheE had thirteen years "a
live, and he seemed 10 be working al
she time 20 get the good opinion Of tbs
people back. ThsFe Hever vas q mere
Herculean task than his 10 save ~ onos
his congregation and his public repute
kuowtna hin long and we'll. and
probably aware OF bis impsrfectinus
the congregation resolved Co stick &
bin. II they had failed him. be mighi
have zone Gown. Secure In their re-
gard, be next endeavored 10
Gnsp THR woALp AGAIN
And bring u back 10 bin. To do tht
be YES Obliged 10 change bis sntir,
standard OF pFtiudices. He selected
large masses OF hts oppenents and seq
reeated them. and then bscsrne an am
bassAdoS 10 teach. Hts old father /,
Bseoher's youth had sounded the tocsis
OF alarm ~ the erowth ~ the CAshsii,
Church In America. The son began /,
preach that Catholics we're amorg thi
best citiEens. He soon found BrooklvV
regarded him &c q frieRd. he thel
vent In pursuit Of sksuticAl saisoce. a
u may b. called. elasped hands witl
Herbert Speacer and Prof. TyudAll
and proclaimed that evolution VA
taught In the Bible, OF, IL nos. that
vas an oversight. People AZ large tool
alsngaid Interest In these evoluti D,
theoTiss, which were not Bcechet's Ow,
discoveries. but the learned world mel,
ed toward him. and said that Al least b
had liberation aud anderstAndlDg.
He next went after the SoatheF
States ard eeean 81 GESTURE 10 Ella slsk
Memphis and Louisville; Ia very nitl
while be bad captured these Anciru
enemies. Thus stAFtiue AZ she frontierl
30 o. SPEAK, he envelopsd his lktile 81
aud church with new aliases uutil B
she tim be died the ons sandal Of b.
life was 81 much less size than David
adventure With TIE wife ef ens % hl
warriors
Ia - noticeable that the Rsseh~f seau
dal and the Grover Cleveland scanda
together have hsd an edueasinR pose
over AmsiicAn socll life: before tbs
time there was dread Ia every impar,
ant msn's mind - hsiuE saspg cted q.
n a